For the past two Tuesdays, I’ve been talking about critique groups. What makes a good one. How to find one. And this week: How It Should Run.
So the obvious disclaimer: there are plenty of ways to run a critique group. I’m not advocating that what follows is the only way to do it. I’m just saying it’s how my group runs. And well…I’ll just let my mug speak for itself:
Critique groups. Here’s the nitty gritty of how to run one.
1. Have the right number of people. A group that’s too small might not have enough opinions to offer. A group that’s too large might not be able to maintain tight bonds. This takes a little experimenting with, but for me the perfect number seems to be 7. That allows that every time I need a reader, even if half the group is busy, I’ll still have three sets of eyes to weigh in.
2. Don’t set a schedule. I’ve been in critique groups before where every three weeks someone sends out some pages and everyone critiques them or some such rotation. The problem with this is that people are often sending out pages when they aren’t really ready for feedback. Hurried pages they wrote just before their deadline. Pages that are still too close to one’s heart to really step back and look at it as a reader. Why not do away with schedules? Just say, “When you need feedback on something, send it.” The end. It’s freeing, I tell you.
3. When you ask for feedback, ask specifically. “What do you think?” is a really broad question and hard to answer. Better to ask for what you need specifically. “Have I fixed the slow pacing I was struggling with last draft?” “Is this character likable?” “What’s the one thing I need to focus on in my next round of revision?”
4. When you give feedback, think about what the writer needs. Feedback on a first draft is often a lot of cheerleading with a dash of prioritizing, in my opinion. “This is great! I love this premise so much! Keep going! Maybe focus on character wants/arc in your next draft.” Big picture stuff. There’s nothing worse than receiving a list of 27 things that are wrong with your manuscript when you’re just at the beginning stages of revision.
5. Maintain a No Pressure philosophy. Life happens. People move and have babies and lose loved ones and it’s just nice to let people participate as they see fit. There will be times when someone’s stepping back a bit or unable to read and critique. There shouldn’t be repercussions for this. I also don’t think your group needs to be located in the same city, but getting together at least once a year is fun and integral to the gel that binds you.
I think the magic button in writing – the thing that propels your manuscripts from good to much better – is a really good critique group. No matter what you write, you need feedback on your writing. Go forth and find your writing village. You will be glad you did.